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*BySPHLdefinition﻿, Vets are players who have 224 or more﻿professional games played. Each team is allowed up to 3 vets on their roster. All 3 vets have to have a combined total of less than900games played﻿.﻿

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The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and AHL’s Hershey Bears, have agreed to terms with defenseman Mike Chen and forward Cam MacDonald for the 2018-19 season.

Chen returns to the Rays for his second professional year after earning a call-up with the team in February and appearing in 11 games. The blueliner accounted for four points on two goals and two assists along with seven penalty minutes during his time with South Carolina.

“It was my first taste of the ECHL and I just happened to be in the best place to play,” said Chen. “Everyone says if they could choose one place to go based on both hockey and location, South Carolina is the place to be. Just on the hockey side of things, you see what Coach Warsofsky has done in the past two years with taking the team to the finals and then breaking all the records for best defense and it’s a reflection of how he keeps recruiting good players and the core group of guys coming back.”

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound defender began his season with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), playing in 46 games with 29 points on six goals and 23 assists. Chen, 25, also had 43 penalty minutes and a +8 rating.

“When it comes to pro hockey, it’s not just the hockey you have to worry about,” Chen said. “You have the community, how you present yourself and how you interact with fans. Everything is a bit more magnified so I think the first year, coming from college, you don’t have to worry about that stuff too much but coming back for my second season, it’s nice coming in and having a gist of what’s going on.”

A native of Rockville, Md., Chen played collegiately at Salem State College for three seasons from 2014-17, scoring 29 points on 11 goals and 18 assists while suiting up for 70 games. He also spent one year at Concordia University during the 2013-14 season, playing in 17 games while tallying three assists.

“This was my #1 spot to come back if I were to play in the ECHL and I’m relieved and happy that it all worked out,” Chen said. “Now I can focus on training in the summer and get after it next year. Having my first year under my belt, I can hit the ground running instead of having to play catch-up.”

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Knoxville, TN (11 July 2018) – The Knoxville Ice Bears and Head Coach Jeff Carr announced Thursday the signing of veteran defenseman Joe Tolles for the 2018-2019 season.

Tolles, a veteran of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), re-joins the Knoxville roster, having played 20 games with the Ice Bears during the 2014-2015 season, amassing 52 points and 112 PIMs in his combined 133 SPHL games. Though he retired from professional hockey after the 2015-2016 season, Tolles, already among the most physically fit players, has reached even greater levels of fitness, competing at the highest levels CrossFit training.

Carr said of the recent signing, “I know Joe and his wife love this community and are excited to be returning to Knoxville… Tolles has the physicality and discipline needed to take on a central leadership role and make a definitive impact on our team’s success.”

Tolles combative playing style should be a great fit for Carr’s system, designed for speed and aggressive puck battles. Carr expects his first summer signee to use his experience to bring another element of leadership to the Knoxville locker room, this season.

PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Mariners announce the signings of forwards Ryan Ferrill and Tyler Maltby, defenseman Alex Adams, and goaltender Connor LaCouvee have all agreed to deals with the Mariners for the 2018-19 season.

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Alex Adams (6’2, 194) is a 25-year-old defenseman from Orangeville, Ontario who joins the Mariners after making his pro hockey debut with the Knoxville Ice Bears (SPHL) in 2017-18.

Adams had ten points (four goals, six assists) in 15 games for Knoxville before finishing the season in Australia with the Adelaide Adrenaline where he put up 17 more points in 14 games. His college career was spent mostly with Wilfrid Laurier University. Adams has been a “Mariner” before, spending a brief time with the Yarmouth Mariners of the MJAHL in the 2013-14 season.

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Knoxville, TENN. (17 July 2018) - The Ice Bears and head coach Jeff Carr announced Tuesday forward Danny Cesarz has re-signed with Knoxville for the 2018-2019 season.

Cesarz, from Redford, MI, has three seasons with the Ice Bears under his belt, scoring 93 points in 114 regular season Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) games. Cesarz joined the Ice Bears in 2015 after participating in the team’s October free agent camp.

“Dan is a 200-foot skater,” Carr said of Cesarz, “… we can rely on him to be electric on offense, and relentless on the defensive end. He has been among the [SPHL] leaders in plus-minus (+/-) and I expect more of the same this year.”

His first three years in Knoxville have been notably strong and, if his production follows the current trend, the upcoming campaign promises to be a relative break-out season for Cesarz.

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Knoxville, TENN. (19 July 2018) – Head Coach Jeff Carr and the Knoxville Ice Bears have announced the signing of rookie forward Scott Cuthrell.

Cuthrell (24) is from Waterford, MI, by way of Nichols College (DIII) in Massachusetts. While at Nichols, Scott had 111 points in as many games and was named team captain his senior year.

“Scott is a talented young guy who should transition well into our system,” said Carr. “We had a good number of recent college graduates produce for us last season, so we expect [Cuthrell] to jump in with us and do more of the same.”

Cuthrell’s 1.00 points per game (PPG) in four seasons in the NCAA (DIII) is noteworthy, as Knoxville’s 22 forwards, throughout 2018-19 regular season, combined for 7.41 PPG. Low PIMs and high point totals in college and juniors suggest Cuthrell will take on a productive and efficient role for the Ice Bears.

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Worcester, Mass. – The Worcester Railers Hockey Club, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders, announced that the club has re-signed forward Tommy Kelley to a contract for the 2018-19 season.

The 23-year-old Natick, Massachusetts native returns to the Railers after appearing in 17 games during the 2017-18 season, where he recorded six points (2g-4a). Kelley ranked third among ECHL rookies with three shootout goals.

Kelley spent four years at Boston University and skated in a total of 86 games and was named to the Hockey East All-Academic team in 2017. Kelley began the 2017-18 season with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League, where he skated in 22 games and recorded 20 points (10g-10a). Kelley played with the Manchester Monarchs, Cincinnati Cyclones and the Atlanta Gladiators before finishing the 2017-18 season with Worcester. In total, Kelley skated in 27 ECHL games and recorded seven points (3g-4a).

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The Ice Bears and head coach Jeff Carr announced Monday goalie Troy Davenport has re-signed with Knoxville for the 2018-2019 season.

Troy Davenport, 33, was a Clark Cup champion in 2006, before playing for Cornell University (NCAA), and has notched impressive professional numbers. After joining the Ice Bears in December 2017, Davenport kept an impressive .911 save percentage, allowing just 52 goals in 20 starts, maintaining a career SV% over .900.

“Davenport has the presence and demeanor we need between the pipes,” Carr said, of his returning net-minder. “[Troy] understands the systems we’re implementing, his rebound control and instincts are outstanding, and he proved himself back in January, when we needed him most.”

Having started nearly half the SPHL season for Knoxville last year, it is expected Davenport will be the Ice Bears first option for the upcoming season. His experience and poise make him an excellent addition to the Ice Bears’ roster.

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Knoxville, TENN. (25 July 2018) - The Ice Bears and Head Coach Jeff Carr announced Wednesday the signing of returning players Stefan Brucato and David Brancik.

Stefan Brucato, forward from Riverside, CA, joined the Knoxville roster in December 2017, after captaining the Johnson & Wales University (NCAA III) Wildcats his senior year, and racked-up 13 goals and 17 assists in his rookie year.

“He’s got great vision – sees the entire rink – which gives him a chance to settle the play and open his options,” Carr said of Brucato. “His physical fitness is constantly improving and I expect him to take on more ice time this season, mainly on the power play and the penalty-kill.”

Brucato is strong along the boards and regularly wins puck battles, especially in the corners. His physicality makes him a great asset on the attack and his vision makes him a strong playmaker.

David Brancik, from the Czech Republic, signed with the Ice Bears last summer and amassed a team-high 36 points (6 G, 30A) from the defensive end, last year, steadily improving as the season progressed.

“Brancik is an incredibly hard worker, on and off the ice, which is why he continually improved last year,” Carr said. “I coached against him in juniors [in 2014] and it’s no surprise that he had such an impressive season.”

Brancik’s on-ice performance steadily improved, rather than tapering off, as one might expect from most rookies. His hot streak late last season, his shot-blocking prowess, and his work ethic create expectations for Brancik to be a defensive authority in the 2018-2019 season.

Joyce, from Prince George, British Columbia, was a dominate force in juniors (SIJHL) and his freshman year at the University of Windsor (USports), with save percentages well over .900, including a 50 game season with a .931 SV%. Because of his incredible performance against the University of Michigan, the Los Angeles Kings invited them to their prospects camp, and Joyce was then noticed by the Las Vegas Knights’ organization.

“This guy is a solid, young goalie,” Carr said of Joyce. “He’s gotten the attention of lots of people at the highest levels and will be a great asset to this year’s roster. Having been to the Kings’ NHL camp and the Chicago Wolves (AHL) camp, he will thrive in the atmosphere our fans create on game nights.”

Joyce comes highly recommended from the LA Kings coaching staff and the Chicago Wolves hockey operations staff and will be an excellent addition to the Knoxville team.

The Knoxville Ice Bears’ Head Coach, Jeff Carr announced Thursday the signing of defensemen Brandon McMartin and Alex Pommerville for the 2018-2019 season.

McMartin, from Toronto, Ontario, played for SUNY-Canton (NCAA III) for two seasons, eight games in the ACH (Allen Cup Hockey), and two seasons for SUNY-Brockport (NCAA III). McMartin is an agile skater with a strong defensive presence.

“This guy [McMartin] is going to play impactful minutes as a rookie,” Carr said. “He’s 6’2”, 220 [lbs] and has the physicality we’re looking for on the defensive end.”

McMartin is scheduled to attend training camp with the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL) in October. Should he find himself in Knoxville, the Ice Bears will certainly benefit from a stout and aggressive defenseman.

Pommerville, from Macedon, New York, was a two-year captain under Carr in juniors before attending Worchester State (NCAA III) where he was captain his senior season.

“Alex is incredibly good in 1-on-1 situations,” said Carr. “He handles adversity well on defense, and his hockey awareness gives him an advantage in our zone.”

The addition of McMartin and Pommerville to the defensive personnel will only bolster the sizably imposing roster in Knoxville.

McNeil, from Cambridge, Ontario, has been in the SPHL since 2012, including 42 games with Knoxville during the 2016-2017 season, scoring 21 points (14G, 7A).

“Kyle is a big, physical veteran with a great net-front presence,” Carr said. “Our playing style this season will focus on team toughness, built around guys like Kyle McNeil.”

McNeil is a formidable presence and is quick to defend his teammates, when called upon. Though he has an aptitude for fisticuffs, Coach Carr expects McNeil to also play a strong roll on the offensive end; his goal scoring ability will surely fortify the Ice Bears offensive roster.